A most welcome sunny, calm Saturday morning saw about fifty people drive up Tunnel Road, south of Wakefield, to attend a NZFFA (Nelson) fieldday hosted by Bevan and Nora Walker on their very impressive forestry farm.
Bevan gave an outline of the history of the 70ha tree-planted hills, beginning with his father utilising a snow plough to clear lines of dirt in the existing scrub, into which he and his son planted radiata pine seedlings.
Later, more tree species were added-the snow plough was made redundantin the event of more environmentally-friendly methods. An aboretum was established along the valley floor beside the stream. As we walked through parts of the forest, Bevan shared his wealth of knowledge and wisdom of experience of the tree species, ages and height, as well as potential end-usage.
He also showed us how he high-prunes trees to give a longer, clear trunk to maximise the value at maturity. This practice, along with thinning, is an ongoing endeavour. At times, over the years, he has been forced to harvest wind-thrown trees left lying on the ground after storms, replacing them with seedlings for the next crop.
Robert Appleton of Appleton Tree Nursery, Wakefield, was on hand to extend our knowledge of suitable trees for specific locations. He also supplied small trees for a special sale as a fundraiser for the association.
Meanwhile, back at the skidsite meeting place, the children played "bush" games led by Tony Dick, chairman, including counting the rings on the end of a log to determine the age of the tree. They also learned ground-based logging and logmaking skills after learning how to fell a young pine tree. These skills were later demonstrated at lunchtime when the adults returned.
Over a picnic lunch, others shared their experiences of growing trees, maximising their potential end-use, harvesting, milling, planting an aboretum, etc., after which Bevan showed us stands of eucalyptus and redwood below the skidsite. He willingly answered many questions as the day went on.
We left the Walkers' Tunnel Road forest with admiration and respect for a family who have taken useless scrub-covered hills and remodelled them into an impressive generational forest farm with the ongoing potential for income.
(The next fieldday is planned for November, 2022)
